Automatic street indicator for railway cars



Aug. 12 @1924. wmmm v E. D. PLYLEY AUTOMATIC STREET INDICATOR FORRAILWAY CARS Filed Sept. 1, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FGL H 2%LE Baa. PutLEY Aug m, 3924., Lmmm v E. D. PLYLEY AUTOMATIC STREET INDICATORFORRAILWAY CARS Filed Sept. 1, 1922 2 Sheet-Sheet z am uo/wlio o "KaneDEE, Fume ES'ILE DEE PLYLEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC STREET INDICATOR FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Application filed September 1, 1922. fierial No. 585,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ESTLE DEE PLYLEY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticStreet Indicators for Railway Cars, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to automatic indicators more particularly designedfor use on street railway cars for indicating the name of theapproaching street. It is the object of the invention to obtain aconstruction which is controlled by means located in the over-headstructure so as to avoid the necessity of any obstruction in the street.It is a further object to obtain a construction which may be easilyadjusted to suit re-routing of the cars and which may also be quicklyreadjusted upon the completion of the trip. The invention thereforeconsists in various features of construction as herein after set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagram indicating a street car and over-head trolleysystem, to which my improvements are applied;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the over-head structure and trolley arm;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the indicator casing;

Figure 4 is a the combined cards;

Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a horizontal section and verticallongitudinal section through the indicator housing the latter figurebeing taken on theline 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a cross-section on line 7-7 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a cross-section on line 88 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a sectional perspective view showing a portion of thehousing and actuating ratchets for the indicator cards;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the end clamping plate; and

Figures 11 and 11 are cross-sections in transverse planes through thefollower.

My improved construction is applicable to any type of railway car inwhich there is an over-head construction such as formed by the posts Aand cross wires B which suspend the trolley wire C. The trips oractuating perspective View of one of indicator and advertising devicesfor the indicator are secured to depend from the cross wires B, asindicated at D, and they are so arranged as to be in the path of anelectric switch E mounted upon the trolley pole F. This switch is doubleacting, being thrown in one direction to close an electric circuit bythe actuation of one of the trips D and being thrown in the oppositedirection to open the circuit by the actuation of a succeeding trip D.Thus a suflicient time interval is given between the successiveactuations of these trips to permit the operation of the indicatormechanism.

The indicator comprises a casing or housing G, which is divided by thehorizontal partition H into an upper partment. At one end of thishousing there is arranged a transparent panel I, preferably a lens,through which the registering indicator card may be observed inmagnified form. These indicator cards J preferably have in the centralportion J thereof the name or number of the street and upon oppositesides of the central portion panels J 2 and J 3 containing advertisingmatter. As

and lower comthe cards are successively displayed, it is obvious that alarge number of advertising displays may be exhibited and the revenuederived therefrom will be sufficient for the installation and themaintenance of the indicator system. 7 J v The cards J are arranged inseries and originally placed in the upper compartment with a follower Kat the rear end of the series. In the lower compartment there is also afollower block K and, as will be presently described, thesev blocks Kand K are actuated step by step in opposite directions, the one toadvance and successively drop the cards of the series and the other toprovide for the reception of the used cards.

The actuating means for the followers preferably comprises a solenoid orelectric magnet L at the rear end of the housing,

which, when energized, va'ctuates the core L Secured 15 same into thelower series.

compartment over which 50 dinally of the case;

10 N will hold both series of cards from reverse movement. 7

For the successive display ofthe cards itisnecessary at each step toremove a card fromthelupper series and to introduce the This is accom-'plished' byiproviding an aperture Pin the partitionH through which theend card of the upper series is permitted to drop: when sufficientlyadvanced. A-plateP is yield 2 ably pressed bysprings P against the cardsin the lower series slightly overlapping the cards of the upper seriesand this plate is movedforward by the ratchet bars M simultan'eouslywith the forwardadvancement of 2 the-cards in the upper series. Thus,upon each forward actuation of'the upper series one card will dropfromthe end into the lowerseries: v

' To reset the indicator after the car has completed its route? and allof the cards in the upper series :havebeen transferred to the lower,provision is made fora retransfer of said cards. This'comp'rises traysarranged: respectively in the upper and lower the cards are fedandwhi'ch may be used for lifting the whole series from one compartmentand transferringit to: the other. 7 The end of the housing,fwhichhassthe'lens I, is preferablyin 40 the form of a hinged door I and thismay be opened: and turned back to: provide "access to :the I twocompartments; It vis also neces+ sary: to adjust the followers,- 1novingthat of th'euipper compartmentxbackward in: the

casing v and that in the-lowercompartment forward. a For such purpose-:1have 1 providedexternally ioperable means for retractingflthe dogs;O onthe followers Kiand'K and for m'ovingthe said followerslongitu- Such"means comprises specifically the rod Q, which extends through theslotRin the'casing and intozengagement with the follower, being -connected toa hell crank lever Q,- having-three arms connected by therods-Swi'th thedogs Os lVitlr-this arrangement by'pulling: upon the rod Qall of thedogsare released from the ratchet bars,-after"which' the rod Q vmay be movedlaterally, moving the follower with it to the desired position ofadjustment.

In -use,- the cardsiare arranged inwseries tco rrespondlngin-name ornumber to-the .street=toibeindicated and-in the same order.

.These cards-are then placedin the tray which is inserted in-qthe "uppercompartment, the follower K having previously been-adjusted rearwardinthe manner previouslydescribed. lVhen the car is travelling, theelectric switch E is alternately opened and closed by engagement withsuccessive trips D and D, this occurring after each indicated street hasbeen passed. When the switch is operated to close the circuit, thesolenoid actuating the ratchet bars simultaneously will move thefollower K one step rearward and will engage an other notch of each ofthe ratchet bars M and M with the dogs O of the follower K. Also theplate P actuated by the springs P will move the lower series of cardsrearward; Upon the opening of the switch the solenoid is deenergized,which permits the springiL to actuate the ratchet bars in the reversedirection. The ratchet bars M and M? will thus move forward the followerK, which will advance the entire series of upper cards, the end card ofsaid series moving the plate P forward against the action ofthe springsP through the aperture P to the lower series.

.VVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a street indicator, the combination with-a-holder for a series ofcards, of a followerislidably arranged in said holder, stationaryratchet bars having teeth facing in one direction, movable ratchet barshavingaroppositely facing teeth, dogs upon said follower engaging therespective ratchet bars, means for reciprocating said movable ratchetbars to advance said follower and the series-of cards step by step andmeans operating: after each advancement for re moving a card from saidholder.

2.111 a street indicator, the combination of a holder havingcompartments for two series of cards, followers slidably arranged ineach of said compartments, dogs upon said followers, a reciprocatingmember, ratchet bars on saidv member having teeth facing in oppositedirections for engaging the: dogs on the respective followers, meansfor-reciprocating said ratchet bars to suecessivelvmove the respectivefollowers and and finally ,dropping seriesof cards in oppositedirections, means operatinga'fter each reciprocation for transferring acard from one series to the other series and means normally preventingthe return movement of said followers.

3. In a street indicator, the combination quently retracting saidreciprocable member to move the other follower in the oppositedirection, and means normally preventing the return movement of therespective followers.

4;. In a street indicator, the combination with a holder having aslotted horizontal partition therein forming upper and lowercompartments for two series of cards, followers slidably arranged ineach of said compartments, a reciprocable member provided with ratchetbars having teeth facing in opposite directions, dogs upon the followerin the upper compartment engaging the ratchet bars with teeth facing inone direction, dogs upon the follower in the lower compartment engagingthe ratchet bars having oppositely facing teeth, means for advancing thereciprocable member to advance the upper follower, means for retractingsaid reciprocable member to move the lower follower in the oppositedirection, means for normally preventing the return movement of each ofsaid followers, and a yieldably pressed plate at the front end of saidlower compartment actuated by the advancement of said reciprocablememher to allow a card in the upper series to be transferred to saidlower series through the slot in said partition.

5. A street indicator comprising a holder having upper and lowercompartments for two series of indicating cards, ratchet toothed barsfor advancing the cards of said series in opposite directions, anelectro-magnet for reciprocating said ratchet bars, the forward movementof said magnet advancing one of said series, and the opposite movementactuating the other of said series, and means operating upon eachadvancement of said upper series for dropping a card therefrom to thelower series.

6. A street indicator comprising a holder having upper and lowercompartments for two series of indicating cards, ratchet toothed barsfor advancing the cards of said series in opposite directions, anelectro-magnet for reciprocating said ratchet bars, the forward movementthereof advancing the upper series, and the rearward movement actuatingthe lower series, a plate normally engaging the end card of the lowerseries and arranged to be laterally displaced by the forward movement ofsaid ratchet bars, a partition between said upper and lower compartmentshaving an aperture therethrough registering with the upper end card whenin advanced position through which said card drops to the lower series,and resilient means for returning said plate to normal position to movethe cards in said lower series upon the rearward movement of saidratchet bars.

7. In a street indicator, the combination with a holder havingcompartments for two series of cards, a partition between saidcompartments having an aperture therein, means for advancing said seriesstep by step in opposite directions including a plate normally engagingthe end card of the lower series and arranged to be laterally displacedby the movement of the upper series whereby a card from said upperseries is transferred through said aperture to said lower series, andresilient means for return ing said plate to normal position and therebymoving said lower series of cards.

8. In a street indicator, the combination with a holder having a slotedhorizontal partition therein forming upper and lower compartments fortwo series of cards, followers slidably arranged in each of saidcompartments, a reciprocable member adapted to successively advance thefollowers in said upper and lower compartments, the upper series ofcards being moved forwardly by the advancement of said upper follower,and a yieldably pressed plate at the front end of said lower compartmentactuated by the advancement of the upper series of cards to allow theend card thereof to be transferred to said lower series through the slotin said partition.

In testimony whereof I aliix my si nature.

ESTLE DEE PLYLEY.

